(CNN)The Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s first Cabinet nominee Wednesday evening, voting to approve his pick for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, on his first day in office
Haines’ confirmation as the first woman to lead the US intelligence community, which was approved in the Senate by 84 to 10, continues a recent Senate precedent of confirming Cabinet nominees the day a new president is sworn in, though Biden is getting fewer nominees approved quickly than his predecessors. The Senate confirmed two of former President Donald Trump’s on his first day, and even more for former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
Biden may struggle to get additional nominees confirmed quickly, as those confirmations could be stalled until Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer cut a deal on a resolution outlining how they’ll share power in the Senate, GOP and Democratic senators said Wednesday.
Haines’ day-one confirmation was in doubt for much of Wednesday, after Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas objected to her confirmation until she clarified an answer during her Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing about the CIA’s interrogation program during the George W. Bush administration. Haines responded to a written follow-up question on Wednesday, and Cotton lifted his hold, clearing the way for Wednesday’s vote.
Haines will become the first woman to serve as director of national intelligence, taking over an intelligence community that was repeatedly disparaged and sidelined by Trump throughout his four years in office. The director of national intelligence is the president’s top intelligence official and leads an agency that coordinates the entire intelligence community, a total of 17 agencies and organizations.
In addition to Haines, Janet Yellen to the Treasury Department is another nominee likely to get a quick vote in the Senate, but there still needs to be an agreement to hold votes on the nominations. It remains to be seen when other nominees might be considered.
